Washington State Forces 60-Year-Old Auto Shop Out of Business for Salmon

A Washington State auto repair shop has learned that saving the manuals is less of a concern than saving the salmon. Ballinger Automotive, a decades-old business in Lake Forest Park, was recently forced by the state to shutter its doors to make way for the migrating fish. 

Lake Forest Park is a small city located just outside of Seattle on the northern tip of Lake Washington. With a population of just shy of 14,000 (circa 2020), it does have a notable claim to fame in former resident Rainn Wilson. The actor-comedian grew up in the area before graduating into sitcom infamy as Dwight Schrute (The Office). Unfortunately, Ballinger Automotive has left town under duress rather than Hollywood success.

Owner Ron Ricker started his automotive business more than 60 years ago. The Lyon Creek runs through the property and, in the ’60s, Ricker built a culvert to keep the water flowing as he prepared to also replace the gas pumps situated above it. 

However, according to The Seattle Times, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) deemed the channel that Ricker built as too narrow, which created a “fire hose” effect when the creek ran high and, thus, blocked salmon migration. The Daily Mail also reports that in 1996, heavy rain caused the stream to swell, creating a sinkhole that ultimately toppled the culvert. 

Ricker had to shut down the gas station, leaving only the repair shop to continue as a business. He said the city’s own culvert farther downstream was to blame, saying it was undersized and led to the pavement collapse on his property. 

But it’s one of many culverts and water channels that apparently block salmon migration in Western Washington. Following The Seattle Times‘ investigation, the state was required to replace hundreds of failed or failing culverts as part of a salmon recovery program—the state’s largest ever. Ricker’s long-collapsed culvert is one of them. The WSDOT claimed eminent domain on it as part of its multi-billion-dollar wildlife project. 

Although the culvert is located on a small portion of the property, it’s the section that his auto shop is located on. Ideally, governments don’t seize private property for the sake of public use, but the WSDOT stated in a court filing that the Ballinger Automotive takeaway was necessary. In June, a judge ruled that the state’s claim was valid.

Ricker said that he tried for years to bring state, city, and tribal officials together to collaborate on a remedy to repair that section of the creek so as to keep his shop in business. He added there are many other sections along the creek that block the salmon.

At 87 years old, the WSDOT action meant retirement for Ricker and unemployment for his employees. Ballinger Automotive ran a steady business and received overwhelmingly positive reviews for its quality of work and customer service. With roughly 800 core customers, maintenance and repair work was scheduled out for at least three weeks. 

In an olive branch attempt, the WSDOT provided Ricker with other auto shop locations he could lease, but none were actually comparable or appropriate to Ballinger Automotive’s size and needs. Issues included little parking, too many bays, or high rental rates that would require tripling the shop’s current business. The WSDOT also apparently offered $124,000 to Ricker for a small parcel of his land, which Ricker dismissed, stating it wasn’t enough compensation for a business that was paid off. But even in retirement, Ricker is fighting back. He will get his day in court this January. 

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